Resumen

VARELA MACHADO, OLGA. THE CONTROVERSY OVER DETERMINISM IN PHYSICS DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20^TH CENTURY. Ideas y Valores [online]. 2022, vol.71, suppl.8, pp.165-191.  Epub 19-Jun-2024. ISSN 0120-0062.  https://doi.org/10.15446/ideasyvalores.v71n8supl.102058.

In this article I offer a reconstruction of the controversy over determinism in physics in the early twentieth century. I will use Oscar Nudler's model of controversial spaces as it allows us to analyze controversies with an emphasis on conceptual change. This will serve to support the initial hypothesis: the acceptance of indeterminism in physics was closely linked to the use of statistical methods. The conclusion is that probability went through three stages of assimilation: first it was a calculation tool, then it became an indispensable element for the interpretation of some phenomena and, finally, it came to be conceived as a constitutive element of nature.

Palabras clave : scientific controversies; controversial spaces; styles of scientific reasoning; quantum mechanics; statistic mechanic.

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